SEDRO-WOOLLEY — Dozens of community members packed into the Sedro-Woolley School Board meeting on Monday reeling from a sudden announcement that Superintendent Miriam Mickelson would be leaving the district.  21 that Mickelson had agreed to “mutual separation for no cause.” Mickelson’s last day was Thursday She was hired as superintendent in 2021.  The impetus for the change appears to be a desire to take “the district in a new direction, building on the work that Dr. Mickelson has done these past four years,” the board wrote in the news release noting that four of the board members who hired Mickelson no longer sit on the board.  Assistant Superintendent Brian Isakson was appointed interim superintendent.  “While it’s not under the happiest of circumstances by any means Brian Isakson does have our full support and confidence of the board to serve as our interim superintendent,” Board President Eric Johnson said.  The remaining three board members — Johnson Lindy Mullen Doyle and Brent Schiefelbein — met on Monday who praised Mickelson for her devotion to the community and expressed concern with how the decision was handled.  The board members did not respond in the meeting to the community’s concerns and complaints Cascadia Daily News reached out to Johnson for further comment Parent Eddie Johnson became emotional in public comment saying Mickelson stood up for his children many times “I believe that the board made a very poor decision,” he said Former school board member Jim Kallio criticized the board for making such a consequential decision with two board seats empty.  said it was due to personal reasons and a desire to focus on family also citing family as her reason for stepping down.  “With both my family’s and the District’s growing needs providing the time and commitment they each deserve has become increasingly challenging,” she wrote in her resignation letter to Mickelson The board failed to fill Bond’s position The Northwest Educational Service District 189 is now selecting a new board member for the district based on a list the board sent them although applications for her position were due Feb Eric Johnson said the board was unable to come to consensus on the person to fill Bond’s position but he expects the board to conduct interviews for Russell’s position shortly He said he hopes to have a full board by the end of March High school math teacher Vanessa Jones said at public comment Monday that Mickelson not only voiced that equity and inclusion mattered but “also showed it through the actions she took as a superintendent.” “I worry when we are losing good leadership in our board and in our administration what direction that is moving us as a district,” she said.  Parent Sam Torset called Mickelson “eminently qualified for the position” and committed.  if it was worth our time to wipe this whole board clean and replace it with new people just so that we could keep Miriam Mickelson that a vast majority of people would [agree],” Torset said “This will damage our community for a very long time.”  School board student representatives Spencer White and Adriana Rodriguez said they were shocked by the announcement.  White said he appreciated how “inclusive” Mickelson is Rodriguez said Mickelson went out of her way to attend student events and even brought her flowers after missing the drama club’s most recent production “I’ve never felt so seen by a staff member,” Rodriguez said.  to include additional comment from the Sedro-Woolley School Board President Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext Email newstips@cascadiadaily.com or Call/Text 360-922-3092 Recent school board directions in the Sedro-Woolley district have raised concerns about schools being “a safe place for our kids,” in the words of a former school board member Two sitting board members resigned during the past several months and the district superintendent resigned last month in a move that surprised and disappointed many disappointment in wake of February resignation of superintendent decision-making with multiple empty board positions teachers and community members continue to express disappointment and frustration regarding the Sedro-Woolley school board following the surprise resignation of superintendent Miriam Mickelson on Feb While many contacted declined to comment for publication on the issue the problems the school board faces are at least in part due to political involvement and ideological disagreements increasing polarization among the board.  Two former board members — Brandon Bond and Dani Baird Russell — resigned in recent months citing desires to focus on family and personal matters the Sedro-Woolley board still reaches a quorum with just three people and can make decisions accordingly No one representing the district has explained the departure of Mickelson who served as superintendent for four years after being approved by an almost totally different school board The matter was defined as a “mutual separation” in a press release a former Sedro-Woolley school board president who lost her position to current board member Lindy Mullen-Doyle in 2023 by six votes out of 6,497 total said Mickelson was loved by many students and families “She was visible in the community and at school events and was approachable — people felt comfortable sharing with her their concerns or accolades,” Jepperson wrote in an email “I have heard staff say she actually knew their name frequent board meeting attendee and former president of Skagit PLFAG — a non-profit LGBTQ+ advocacy group — said Mickelson was also a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in contrast to some opinions on the board.  “I was stunned,” Jordan said of Mickelson’s departure “Here you have somebody who has done such a terrific job of running a really hard school (district) and … (after) I listened to students talk about what she had meant to them teachers talk about what she’d meant to them Jepperson did not mince words on her opinion of the district’s current three-person school board.  but I can say it is hard to lead a team when there is no team,” she said “The (district) mission statement no longer feels attainable because it is no longer about the mission of having each student graduate with the skills and knowledge for future learning success (and) instead has become more about division.” a 73-year-old longtime local resident who has seen his children and — soon said he wasn’t surprised that Mickelson may have decided to find work elsewhere.  Garey said Mickelson and some school board members have become subject to an increasingly hostile work environment this included public comments accusing the board of unproven corrupt practices and personal political agendas Garey advocated for the board to speak with its legal counsel on establishing a free speech policy to identify when speech had crossed a line Garey and his wife have long supported and volunteered in public schools and he said the last year has been the first time he has ever questioned whether he can trust his school board’s decision-making “I have reason to believe now that there are … members on the school board in Sedro-Woolley that probably should not be trusted to support every child’s best interest,” he said.  Jordan began attending school board meetings after Mullen-Doyle’s mother filed a 2023 request to review any districtwide library books concerning race Those included many books that PFLAG had purchased and then donated to the district While the board of the time handled a potential book ban well recent school board meetings have given them pause on whether that same level of thoughtfulness still exists.   “Sedro-Woolley has been a safe place for our kids,” they said “I’m very concerned about the well-being of our kids moving forward.” Salish Current reached out to all three board members asking for information on Mickelson’s departure Mullen-Doyle responded in an email and passed most of the questions to board president Eric Johnson Johnson wrote that no further details of Mickelson’s departure would be shared owing to the mutual separation agreement she and the board agreed to. The third board member Salish Current also contacted several current and former district teachers on Mickelson’s dismissal and school board opinions; all declined to comment Jepperson raised just $450 in cash donations during her campaign with none taken from publicly listed political sources.  Mullen-Doyle is a member of Moms for Liberty, a national organization that has gained traction in recent years for its politically charged views on public education and parental rights Mullen-Doyle did not answer questions about Moms for Liberty’s presence in either the school district or Skagit County The group’s national website lists the nearest formally recognized chapters in King and Chelan counties explain her own opinion about being part of the group Constitution’s First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of association,” she said “These liberties are critically important to respect and preserve.”  Mullen-Doyle also explained why Moms for Liberty came up during a Nov A Federal District Court injunction “impacting the school board’s policy review,” she said led to questions and shared information on her social media page about the matter.  That preliminary injunction blocked the implementation of 2024 Title IX changes focused on gender-based protections public schools in which Moms for Liberty members’ children attend.  Jordan said Mullen-Doyle first supported a resolution for the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association — the private nonprofit rule-making organization that oversees equitable playing conditions in high school sports — to amend an 18-year-old policy on transgender athletes that would effectively ban them from competing.  Mickelson had a school district attorney address the board who informed it that what they were proposing was likely illegal under the state’s antidiscrimination law the then four-person board still voted on adopting the resolution The board focused its energy on these matters despite having no identified transgender athletes in the Sedro-Woolley School District Jepperson isn’t surprised by what has transpired She lost her board seat despite having 10 years of board experience and two children in the district while Mullen-Doyle — a first-time candidate — ran after withdrawing her children from the district several years ago following the state’s COVID-19 masking mandate does not require someone to be a parent or employee of the district in order to serve.  “Lindy Mullen-Doyle is doing exactly what she said she would do but she has spoken out against transgender athletes,” Jepperson said “She told people she would make this district stronger yet as of right now two board members have left the superintendent has also left and many staff feel powerless hopeless and are left wondering what is next and (that) there is too much government involvement in our education system (aligning) with what we see happening at the national level.” Jepperson said Mullen-Doyle’s views conflict sharply with her own.  “I embraced differences and saw strength in how these differences made us stronger,” she said “You don’t want just a garden of kale when you can have peas but variety is what makes life special — it’s true for students It’s what made us a district others wanted to be like.” districts which become embroiled in politics tend to see increased polarization that is unhelpful for students.  “The job of the school board is to make schools a place where all students can learn and prepare for their futures,” he wrote in an email “Polarization only serves to distract and interfere with that purpose.” On March 17, the school board publicly interviewed eight applicants for the District 3 position formerly occupied by Baird Russell the Northwest Educational Service District 189 board appointed Becky Taft for the District 5 seat previously occupied by Bond with eight “yes” votes and one abstention. Taft will serve as an appointee until the next regular school board election Still in question is whether Taft will join the other three board members in voting for the District 3 appointee Replacing Mickelson with someone as qualified and passionate about their work may be challenging.  Jepperson said the superintendent search in 2021 reviewed at least 30 candidates a number then whittled to 10 before interviews left three finalists Community members were consulted through online polls and encouraged to provide comments on those finalists Mickelson was chosen “overwhelmingly,” Jepperson said.  “I don’t feel confident that the three board members we have right now are ready for this task,” she said They should not do this without a full board representing all districts and schools.” Jordan said their understanding of the current situation is Interim Superintendent Brian Isakson former assistant superintendent to Mickelson does not wish to become Mickelson’s permanent replacement.  “I hope we find a way to engage our community because right now I fear they will fail the next levy which will create a significant budget deficit,” Jepperson said “I hope we return to a district that others want to be like; one where every family and child feels safe and welcome and that the most important part — educating those students — happens.” Did you find this story useful? If so, share it with a friend, a family member or colleagueand ask them to subscribe to Salish Current (it’s free) for more stories like this Help keep the local news flowing — support nonpartisan, fact-based, no-paywall local journalismwith a donation to the Salish Current — news for people Matt Benoit is Bellingham-born and raised. He’s written for the Bellingham Herald, Tri-City Herald, Pacific Northwest Inlander, Discover Magazine.com and WhatcomTalk.com, among others. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media production from Washington State University. Read more of his work at matthewcbenoit.com A STRONG COMMUNITY NEEDS A STRONG LOCAL PRESS.Help us revive local journalism Immigration officials on Tuesday morning arrested 25-year-old union farmworker activist Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez in Sedro-Woolley according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement records and Juarez’s fellow organizers who is a member of the Indigenous Mexican Mixteco community has organized on behalf of farmworker rights in Washington state since he was 14 years old and worked as a berry picker a longtime activist leader and founder of social justice group Community to Community Development Guillen says Juarez called her shortly before 7:30 a.m on Tuesday and she heard Juarez’s partner screaming and crying before the call abruptly ended I was just taking her to work,'” Guillen said An ICE spokesperson said Juarez is a citizen of Mexico and was ordered by an immigration judge to return there in 2018 Juarez “refused to comply with lawful commands to exit the vehicle he was occupying at the time of the arrest,” according to the spokesperson and will remain in ICE detention during deportation proceedings Juarez was driving his partner to her job at a tulip bulb company in Mount Vernon political director for Indigenous farmworkers union Familias Unidas por la Justicia Franks said officials broke Juarez’s window and forced him out of the vehicle Juarez later called from an ICE facility in Ferndale ICE’s online detainee locator system confirmed Juarez was being held at a “holding room” in Ferndale on Tuesday afternoon records showed he was at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma ICE did not immediately respond to questions about why Juarez had been arrested Guillen and Franks said they feared Juarez was targeted because of his activism “We feel that there are no First Amendment protections for people that are doing activism in the immigrant community,” Franks said “This is a basic constitutional right for everyone.” U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said in an emailed statement that she was “closely tracking” Juarez’s arrest, along with the arrest of Lewelyn Dixon a University of Washington lab technician and green card holder who is being held in ICE detention who pose no threat and play important roles in their communities just diverts resources from detaining actual public safety threats,” Murray said “I don’t care what Trump promised on the campaign trail— when it comes to immigration enforcement or anything else he’s going to need to follow the letter of the law,” her statement read said he was working with Murray’s office to gather more information the Trump Administration and ICE have claimed that they are going after ‘the worst of the worst’ — but there is no indication that Alfredo Juarez Zeferino and the other people detained today represent the worst of the worst,” Larsen said in an emailed statement Bob Ferguson said in an emailed statement Tuesday night he was “concerned about the reports I’m hearing” and was working to get more information “I think pretty much every legislator in Olympia knows him,” Guillen said “He’s a serious young man who really wants to fight for justice and he knows how to express himself and he’s tireless He is like 24/7 on immigrant rights and farmworker rights.” In 2015, when Juarez was 15, he was arrested during a traffic stop by Bellingham police and sent to an ICE detention facility. Juarez’s family sued the city of Bellingham in federal court, alleging racial profiling, and the city agreed to settle with the family for $100,000 Seattle Times news researcher Miyoko Wolf contributed to this story Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser Two vacancies on Sedro-Woolley School Board have been filled after several months of empty seats.  The school board appointed Michelle Moser on Thursday March 27 to fill the vacant District 3 seat the Northwest Educational Service District 189 appointed Becky Taft to fill the vacant District 5 spot as the board previously could not come to a consensus within the required 90 days on who should fill that vacant seat The vacant District 3 spot was previously held by Danielle Baird Russell 24 after having been reelected in November 2023. Taft’s District 5 spot was previously held by Brandon Bond who served on the board since 2018 and resigned for family reasons in September 2024 The two appointed board members will be sworn in on April 14 when both of their seats will be up for grabs four of which will be up for election in November The school board was down to three members when it made its controversial decision in February to part ways with Miriam Mickelson Mickelson will receive $375,288 from the district in severance payments over the next several months Assistant Superintendent Brian Isakson is now serving as interim superintendent.  The new board will now be tasked with selecting a superintendent Squalicum freshman forward Drew Swanson scored the game-winning goal in the 63rd minute of a 1-0 win for the Storm over Sedro-Woolley in a tight match between two of the top three teams in the Northwest Conference on Thursday 7-0-2 NWC) are the top Class 2A team in the conference by record and the Cubs (5-3-2 5-2-2 NWC) are the top Class 3A team in the conference by record.   “We played a really tough opponent,” Squalicum head coach Jose Rodriguez said A long aerial through ball from junior midfielder Issac Grimes led to a left side attack where Swanson found a narrow gap to squeeze a shot into the back of the net from close range.  “He did such a great job when he received that ball to get the defender on his backside Sedro-Woolley was not held to zero goals easily The Cubs have scored 21 goals in 10 games this season and were attacking the Storm’s defense throughout the match.  “We knew it was going to be tough,” Rodriguez said “One of the things we pride ourselves on is playing tough Both sides racked up fouls as the two teams were in a scoreless stalemate for the first 62 minutes Freshman defender David Leslie helped lead the Storm’s backline and limit attacks from the Cubs.  Squalicum is tied with Sehome for the top record in the Northwest Conference Squalicum leads the conference in goals scored (31) and has allowed the second least (6) giving them the top scoring margin in the NWC.  “We’re starting to figure things out,” Rodriguez said “This [win] is a big confidence boost because this was a tough team Sedro-Woolley will remain on the road against Meridian (2-4-3 Zen Hill is a sports intern at Cascadia Daily News We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at classified@skagitpublishing.com or call us at 360-424-3251 A lawsuit over the death of David Babcock will be heard in Skagit County courts Babcock was shot and killed by a Sedro-Woolley police officer in February 2022. In May 2024, his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Snohomish County Superior Court against the City of Mount Vernon the police officer who fired the fatal shots arguing that all four entities should be held responsible for Babcock’s death Since it was filed, the court dismissed Skagit County and the City of Mount Vernon from the lawsuit Officers from both entities interacted with Babcock the night he died: a Skagit County sheriff’s deputy followed him for 20 miles and a Mount Vernon Police Officer attempted a traffic stop But the court found that neither were a “proximate cause” for Babcock’s death 9 by the City of Sedro-Woolley and Rosser to move the case into Skagit County arguing that Snohomish County was no longer the proper venue.  The Babcock family is asking for monetary damages including pre-death pain and suffering The lawsuit also cites loss of future potential earnings and enjoyment of life for Babcock as well as loss of love and companionship and the destruction of the parent/child relationship for his family.    On Feb. 16, 2022, law enforcement officers from Mount Vernon, Skagit County and Sedro-Woolley followed Babcock for more than 20 miles after initial suspicion that he was driving a car with a stolen license plate Paul Eaton went ahead of Babcock and laid spike strips at the corner of North Fruitdale and McGarigle roads fired nine bullets at Babcock’s car and ultimately shot and killed him.  SEDRO-WOOLLEY — Protesters packed themselves into City Hall an hour before the meeting started in early September; others hung around on Metcalf Street near the tractors they lined up for the occasion They held homemade signs and wore red matching shirts Another: “Save Sedro-Woolley.”  They envision a substantial battery storage project atop 8 acres on the east side of town Washington needs a way to store more electricity as it transitions away from fossil fuels And this particular site could hold enough batteries to power 100,000 homes for eight hours Great for those moments when hydropower reservoirs are low when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing If approved, the Goldeneye Battery Energy Storage System would be one of the first in Washington and certainly the biggest. But as it stands now, the proposal serves as another high-profile example of the challenges that renewable energy projects face in finding a willing host community particularly in rural areas made to feel as if they must bear the brunt of green policies from Olympia The company ran into similar opposition last year for another $250 million battery project proposed in King County, which ended with the Covington City Council passing a yearlong moratorium on the work in May Tenaska still put its best foot forward in Sedro-Woolley sending out introductory mailers and knocking on doors They even joined the local Chamber of Commerce Sedro-Woolley and surrounding Skagit County residents seem to have solidified in their opposition profiteering and besmirching — maybe even poisoning — their most valuable resources particularly salmon habitat and agricultural land City Councilwoman JoEllen Kesti sat in the chambers for hours alongside her colleagues listening to her constituents and neighbors speak out against the proposal repeating talking points she had heard around town Neither does she, for that matter, nor her colleagues on the council, the representatives of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe or the Skagit County Commission They might not have much of a choice in the matter Tenaska might have found a way around that local opposition For the Goldeneye project (named after a type of midsize sea duck not the Bond film) Tenaska proposes building dozens of batteries using a little more than half of a 14-acre agricultural plot just south of Minkler Road and next to Hansen Creek which feeds into the Skagit River not far downstream The $250 million project would have the capacity to hold up to 800 megawatt hours of electricity and it would draw power from the Sedro-Woolley Substation just across the creek The work would create up to 100 local jobs during construction and maybe one or two full-time positions after it’s operational As Washington shifts away from fossil fuels, new energy projects aren’t keeping pace with the exploding demand for electricity, which could spike above available supply by 2030.  Turbines and solar arrays can only generate electricity when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining those moments don’t coincide with peak times for energy demand (generally evening hours) Batteries can be used to store renewable electricity when it’s available for later use Approval depends first on the state’s Energy Facility Siting Evaluation Council which serves as a one-stop shop for all the large permits that projects like this need Tenaska submitted its project application to the council in June The body will consider multiple aspects of the work and hold public comment periods before issuing its recommendation to the governor Not nearly as complicated as a swath of wind turbines across miles and miles of high-desert hillsides But residents and public officials have serious concerns about the proposal The site also sits within a 100-year flood plain These are the types of considerations that would lead local officials to deny any sort of building permit on the property But because the project now sits with EFSEC the decision is largely out of their hands Lead Project Developer Tommy Nelson acknowledged to the City Council that construction would include boring an electrical line underneath the creek but said otherwise the shoreline shouldn’t be harmed in the process The batteries would also be elevated to reduce flood risk Martin later added that the lithium iron phosphate batteries this site would use could not leak because there is no liquid inside them And the company would set the project back at least 200 feet from Hansen Creek’s ordinary high-water mark and build a stormwater detention facility to guard against floods That’s cold comfort to the public officials and city residents People packed into the council chambers jeered Nelson and his colleagues shouting additional questions and laughing at their answers Could toxics from the batteries leech into the waterways that the Goldeneye project would use more advanced battery technology and be built to more stringent construction and fire prevention standards Generally battery fires burn hot enough for the flames to consume most toxics said Tenaska’s fire consultant Mike Nicholas battery monitors on call 24 hours a day would detect the issue and alert firefighters Water would only be used to keep the fire from spreading to another battery not on the fire itself because that could dampen the temperature and allow more toxics to escape Could this carry hazardous chemicals into the soil What assurances could the developer provide that this project would not harm the environment The developers had few additional details to offer These questions would be answered as part of the hazard mitigation analysis and emergency response plan that must be completed during the EFSEC process the Upper Skagit tribe’s policy representative for natural and cultural resources The tribe and its community partners have worked to restore the Skagit River and Hansen Creek for decades But this project threatens all that progress Concerns extend beyond the environmental as well Residents said they don’t want to look at the batteries Matt Steinman said he doesn’t want to hear them He works farmland just south of the site and said he’s concerned the batteries would consume a plot that should be available for farming Martin noted that the site hasn’t been actively farmed for years A representative for EFSEC declined to comment on the project specifically but said in its process the council will consider whether the batteries would be consistent with the land use in the area The council will also consider environmental and hazardous impacts from the work Others have accused the council of being meant to rubber stamp green initiatives favored by Gov. Jay Inslee. But in one recent case the group slashed a wind farm in half Browning acknowledged that Skagit County could indeed use a battery facility County Commission and Upper Skagit tribe will formally oppose the project throughout the EFSEC process and many others from the community are sure to voice their opinions as well Martin attributed such strong pushback to misinformation circling on social media and said the company will continue to speak with members of the public to illustrate their plans Should EFSEC give the work a favorable recommendation to the governor the company would indeed move forward with construction Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified five species of salmon as androgynous meaning they migrate upriver from the sea to spawn The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser!